Proposed Alaska Vape Age Increase: Raising Purchase Age and Adding Tax
The minimum purchasing age for e-cigarette or vape products in the state could increase from 19 to 21 years old, with an additional 25% tax on products.
Public Opinion on House Bill 49
At a House Labor and Commerce Committee meeting on Monday, the public weighed in on House Bill 49, introduced by Rep. Sara Hannan, D-Juneau. Versions of this bill have come before lawmakers multiple times in recent years, and public testimony was divided.
Support for the Bill
Leena Edais, a recent graduate of Anchorage’s Dimond High School and co-president of Youth Encouraging Alaskans’ Health (YEAH), a tobacco prevention and education coalition, supports the bill.
“Whether in the halls, classrooms, or anywhere in schools, students were using their vapes,” Edais said. “At my high school, it got to a point where so manypeople were using these products in bathrooms that every single bathroom door in the highschool had to be opened for like half of the school year.”
Edais worries that widespread vape use among high school students harms their health and academic success.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaping and nicotine addiction can damage adolescent brain development and increase stress or anxiety. In 2023, 17.3% of Alaska high schoolers reported vaping within the previous 30 days.
Roey Armstrong, co-president of YEAH and another recent high school graduate, believes the additional tax in the bill could help prevent students from becoming addicted.
“Once addicted to a substance, quitting is extremely difficult. People will go to great lengths to get what they crave,” Armstrong said. “These price increases will stop more youth from starting due to budget constraints.”
Opposition to the Bill
Not everyone supports the bill. Shaun D’Sylva, owner of Fatboy Vapors Alaska, argued that vapes are a safer alternative to cigarettes. He warned that the additional tax could push more people to take up cigarette smoking instead.
Anchorage resident Mark Sundquist told the committee the tax would drive consumers away from local retailers, increasing illegal purchases.
“While the intent may be to discourage e-vapor use, these tax rates would make legal, regulated products more expensive,” Sundquist said. “This would create a price advantage for black market products.”
Legislative Perspective
Hannan stated that the tax aims to reduce youth tobacco use and align state law with federal regulations. In 2019, a federal law raised the national legal age for purchasing, selling, or distributing tobacco products to 21.
“I believe we must regulate products legally for sale as effectively as possible,” she said.
Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, filed a similar bill in the Senate. He has advocated for raising the minimum age for the past decade.
Bill Advancement for Alaska Vape Age Increase
On Monday, the House Labor and Commerce Committee voted 4-2 to advance the bill, which will next be reviewed by the House Finance Committee.
